State officials look at employee's travel budgets

Travel budgets expected to be cut

State officials in Vermont are taking a closer look at employees' travel budgets.

The Shumlin administration last week sent state agency and department heads notice that travel budgets are being cut by $170,000 overall for the year.

Legislators this year also inserted wording in the 2014 budget bill requiring any employee driving more than 11,400 miles a year to use a state-owned or leased car, unless granted an exemption by a department head.

State officials say there may be other areas of state government where travel could be cut more easily. Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding said he hopes state agencies will make better use of technology instead of having employees traveling to attend meetings.

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